Transport for London are proposing to extend the Bakerloo line beyond Elephant & Castle to Lewisham, serving Old Kent Road and New Cross Gate.

Tfl say that the extension will improve connectivity, increase the capacity and resilience of the transport network and reduce journey times between key destinations. This will help London to grow by supporting new homes and jobs.

Progressing with these proposals is a commitment made by the Mayor, Sadiq Khan he has committed to bring the completion date forward from 2030 to 2028/29.Proposed route map:

I am writing on behalf of the Bellingham Councillors to submit our views about the extension of the Bakerloo line.

We request that the Mayor of London and Transport for London seriously consider that plans for the eventual extension of the Bakerloo line to Hayes be incorporated in to current plans. The London Plan requirements for Catford and the existing railway alignment mean that the extension of TfL operation of local lines, over the current franchise arrangements, would be of enormous benefit to residents and businesses in the borough of Lewisham and beyond.

Lewisham Council’s Sustainable Development Committee has highlighted that in previous consultations on the extension of the Bakerloo line, almost all respondents backed the extension of the line to Catford. It also notes that respondents backed the extension of the line beyond Lewisham in to the London Borough of Bromley by a margin of two to one, with a significant number of those who did not actively support the extension expressing no preference.

Furthermore, Phoenix Community Housing who have over 8,000 properties locally have said that these areas to the South of Lewisham suffer from high levels of deprivation and lack of access to opportunities. They lie between central London and the outer commercial and retail centres of Bromley and have been bypassed too often in consideration of improved transport links. The connections that a further extension of the Bakerloo line would bring much needed economic and social uplift to these areas. This could address the housing crisis by allowing for an increase in building densities through improved public transport accessibility.

In endorsing these comments we thank the Mayor of London and the Deputy Mayor for Transport but strongly urge them to further consider extending the Bakerloo Line beyond Lewisham to Hayes.